Williams v. Commissioner

44 T.C. 673, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 44
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 30, 1965
DocketDocket No. 3880-62
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 44 T.C. 673 (Williams v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Commissioner, 44 T.C. 673, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 44 (tax 1965).

Opinion

OPINION

Bruce, Judge:

This proceeding involves deficiencies in income tax for the calendar years 1960 and 1961 in the respective amounts of $29,955.75 and $14,203.44, and an addition to tax for 1960 under section 6651(a), I.R.C. 1954, in the amount of $7,488.94 for failure timely to file a return.

The taxpayer in this case is Ruby M. Williams, a resident of Richmond, Ky. She filed individual income tax returns for the calendar years 1960 and 1961 with the district director of internal revenue at Louisville, Ky.

Although none of the parties to this proceeding has questioned the jurisdiction of this Court, it is fundamental that a court must consider that question if it is suggested by the facts and applicable law. Psaty & Fuhrman, Inc. v. Stimson, 11 T.C. 638 (1948); Louisville Property Co., 41 B.T.A. 1249 (1940). We have concluded that the filing of the petition herein is prohibited by section 6871 (b) of the Code and therefore we are without jurisdiction to determine the issues raised in the petition.

Ruby M. Williams, on March 20, 1961, made a voluntary assignment to Charles R. Coy for the benefit of her creditors. Coy, as assignee, on June 26, 1961, filed a complaint in the Circuit Court for Madison County, Ky., naming as defendants Ruby M. Williams and her husband and all the known creditors of Ruby M. Williams, including the United States of America. Paragraph 13 of this complaint alleged:

13. Plaintiff believes, and; therefore, alleges on information and belief that the United States of America may, under and by virtue of the 1954 Internal Revenue Code, Title 26 U.S.C.A., have some interest in this action and in the estate of the defendant, Ruby M. Williams; and the United States of America is now called upon to plead herein and to show what interest, if any, it has in this action and in the estate of the defendant, Ruby M. Williams, under said Internal Revenue Code.

Notice of the assignment was given by Coy to all known creditors and notice by publication was given according to law. Coy filed bond as'required by statute. Coy liquidated the assets transferred to him by the assignment under orders of the Circuit Court. He rendered to that court an accounting as of May 5, 1962, of the performance of his trust and made a further report and accounting to the court on December 31, 1964, showing the assets on hand for settlement of claims. The district director of internal revenue filed a claim in that proceeding.

Euby M. Williams filed her income tax returns for 1960 and 1961 on or about March 18,1962. Eespondent mailed a notice of deficiency to Euby M. Williams on June 28, 1962, determining the deficiencies herein and informing her that assessment had been made of the deficiencies and addition to tax under the provisions of the internal revenue laws relating to jeopardy assessments.

The petition herein was filed September 24, 1962, naming as petitioners both Euby M. Williams and Charles E. Coy, assignee of Euby M. Williams for the benefit of creditors.

Section 6871 of the Internal Revenue Code of 19541 deals with claims for income, estate, and gift taxes in bankruptcy and receivership proceedings. Subsection (a) provides for immediate assessment of any deficiency upon adjudication of bankruptcy or upon “the appointment of a receiver for any taxpayer in any receivership proceeding before any court of * * * any State.” Subsection (b) provides for presenting claims for such deficiencies to the court before which the bankruptcy or receivership is pending, “despite the pend-ency of proceedings for the redetermination of the deficiency in pursuance of a petition to the Tax Court;” and further provides “but no petition for any such redetermination shall be filed with the Tax Court after * * * the appointment of the receiver.”

The provisions of section 6871 (b) are to the effect that if a petition has been filed with the Tax Court prior to the adjudication of bankruptcy or the appointment of a receiver for the taxpayer in a receivership proceeding in a State or Federal court, the Tax Court is not deprived of jurisdiction to redetermine the deficiency, Comas, Inc., 23 T.C. 8 (1954), but that after the appointment of such a receiver the Tax Court is without jurisdiction to receive a petition and the determination of the tax claim is solely within the jurisdiction of the court which appointed the receiver. Leon I. Ross, 38 T.C. 309 (1962).

Upon consideration of the statutes of Kentucky and the decisions of the Court of Appeals of Kentucky interpreting those statutes, we are impelled to the conclusion that the assignment in this case and the proceedings pursuant thereto were in all essential respects the equivalent of the appointment of a receiver in a receivership proceeding in a State court within the meaning of section 6871, and that the filing of the petition herein, long after the assignment was made and the assignee had filed a bond and had commenced an action in the State court to settle the estate, is prohibited by section 6871 (b).

Chapter 379 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes deals with voluntary assignments. Section 379.020 requires the deed of assignment to be recorded in the county clerk’s office of the county where the assignor resides and in each county where a tract of land or the greater part thereof conveyed is situated. Section 379.030 requires the assignee to file a bond approved by the county judge and recorded in the county clerk’s office. Section 379.170 permits the assignee to bring an action to settle the estate in the circuit court instead of the county court, in which case the circuit court, in addition to its powers as a chancery court, may exercise any power conferred on the county court in administering and settling the assigned estate. Section 379.050 provides that the assignee shall be subject to the orders and supervision of the court and may be required to file any report ordered. Section 379.090 provides for sales of the property conveyed- and requires a report of the sale, subject to confirmation by the court. Sections 379.100, 379.110, and 379.120 provide for the filing of claims and allowance or rejection or compromise of claims, all within the supervision of the court and subject to confirmation by the court. Section 379.130 provides for distributions upon the claims, subject to confirmation by the court.

Under the foregoing provisions of the statutes of Kentucky, the assignee, in proceeding to liquidate and distribute the estate conveyed by the assignor, is at all times subject to the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction to pass upon the claims of the creditors, including the United States.

The Court of Appeals of Kentucky has regarded the State laws and procedure relating to assignments for the benefit of creditors as comparable with receiverships in receivership proceedings in the State courts. In Deposit Bank v. Kirby, 175 Ky. 700, 194 S.W. 929 (1917), that court commented:

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Related

Levine v. Commissioner
1987 T.C. Memo. 564 (U.S. Tax Court, 1987)
Conlee Constr. Co. v. Commissioner
54 T.C. 402 (U.S. Tax Court, 1970)
King v. Commissioner
51 T.C. 851 (U.S. Tax Court, 1969)
Gurley v. Commissioner
1966 T.C. Memo. 52 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)
Williams v. Commissioner
44 T.C. 673 (U.S. Tax Court, 1965)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
44 T.C. 673, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 44, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-commissioner-tax-1965.